London - One of breast cancer’s most deadly secrets has been solved by scientists, paving the way for life-saving drugs.
British researchers have found the trigger that allows the disease to spread to the lungs, leading to it becoming incurable.
Most of the 11 700 deaths from breast cancer each year occur after the disease spreads and the lungs are one of the first places to be affected. Once there, the cancer becomes resistant to existing drugs and gradually eats away at the organs until they fail with fatal results. As yet, there is no cure.
Edinburgh University scientists showed that white blood cells called macrophages help breast cancer cells on their deadly march. The macrophages release chemical signals that lure cancer cells into the lungs and help them take root there and grow.
In experiments on mice, blocking a key step in the signalling process cut the number of tumours in the lungs by up to two thirds, the Journal of Experimental Medicine reports. Crucially, this worked whether the tumour cells were from mouse or human versions of breast cancer.
Researcher Jeffery Pollard is now in talks with pharmaceutical companies about creating a drug based on his research.
It is hoped the drug would also stop the disease from spreading to the bone, brain and other parts of the body.
Professor Pollard said: “The real challenge in breast cancer is metastatic disease, which is essentially incurable at the moment.
“Our findings open the door to the development of treatments... which might stop the deadly progression of breast cancer in its tracks. It is very exciting.”
Breast Cancer Care welcomed the research. But Samia al Qadhi, its chief executive, cautioned: “We look forward to hearing the results from further studies.”
Daily Mail